Can President Barack Obama become a political bridge-builder? That's the role he is facing when an expected surge of new Republicans comes to Washington after next week's congressional elections.

Battles are expected over budgets, taxes and deficits, and Obama will try to guard his signature policy victories -- the overhaul of healthcare and financial regulation -- from being shredded by Republicans who want to limit government's role.

And Republicans are likely to try to confound any extensive energy legislation, forcing Obama to scale back his ambitions for carbon emission cuts to address climate change.